The largest ever screening trial in lung cancer reported last year that screening with low-dose CT reduces mortality from the disease. This impressive trial, from the US’ National Lung Screening Trial Research Team, demonstrated that CT scans could detect both early stage and advanced disease. So – does that mean that lung screening is set to become a reality in many countries? Not in the short term, says EJC’s Lung Cancer Editor, Mary O’Brien (Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, UK). She told Helen Saul that other ongoing trials will take between 5 and 10 years to report, and that these results will be needed to answer outstanding questions before expensive screening programmes can be considered. But in the meantime, she applauds the trial and says it holds important messages for both clinicians and patients.